Volver **** (2006, Penélope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Yohana Cobo, Blanca Portillo, Chus Lampreave) – Classic Movie Review 3579

This tantalising and sophisticated 2006 comedy crime drama is Spanish enfant terrible cult director Pedro Almodóvar‘s 18th feature film. Its star Penélope Cruz was Oscar nominated in 2007 for her performance here and became the first Spanish actress ever to be nominated as Best Actress at the Oscars. She went on to win Best Supporting Actress for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) at the 2009 Oscars.

Penélope Cruz proves just the classy star actress that Almodóvar needs to inspire him as Raimunda, a mother who returns to her windy and superstitious home village of Alcanfor de las Infantas to fix the situations she couldn’t resolve when she was alive. Raimunda, her daughter Paula (Yohana Cobo) and her sister Sole (Lola Dueñas) travel from Madrid to visit the grave of the sisters’ mother Irene (Carmen Maura), who died with her husband years ago in a fire.

Also in the cast are Blanca Portillo as Agustina, Chus Lampreave as Tía Paula, Antonio de la Torre as Paco, Carlos Blanco as Emilio and María Isabel Díaz as Regina.

Almodóvar provides a marvellous showcase for some great actresses to shine: Cruz, Portillo, Lampreave, Cobo, Dueñas and Maura are all unforgettable here.

It is the first collaboration of Almodóvar and Maura in 18 years as their friendship broke after shooting Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988).

Chus Lampreave died on April 4 2016, aged 85.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3579

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